The Platinum Awards
by Fangirl21
Summary: Nearing the Platinum Awards, Tori has been keeping up her bad-girl appearance for nearly a month now, driving away all of her friends. Beck decides he wants to find out once and for all what's wrong with Tori, so he drags her into the janitor's closet at Hollywood Arts and refuses to let her leave until she tells him. Now it's a game to see who can hold out longest - Tori or Beck?


**A/N: Hi guys! This is my first Victorious fanfiction, so I hope it turned out alright. Tell me what you think, alright? Critiques are always appreciated. Enjoy!**

Tori sighed and braced herself before leaving Sikowitz's class. She had endured enough taunting already, and it was only bound to get worse when she would end up eating lunch alone. Again.

It was all because of the stupid Platinum Awards. That was why she was wearing these stupid clothes and being "outrageous". Also why her friends wouldn't talk to her now. These past few weeks of being outrageous had made Tori's friends slowly distant themselves from her until she had no one left. Even Trina didn't talk to her that much. She opened the door and walked to her locker, where the stars under the Make it Shine letters were shining brightly. She stared into her locker blankly, not wanting to go to lunch.

At this moment Beck was hurrying down the stairs, looking for Tori. He wanted to find out once and for all what was going on. True, he had been ignoring her, but only because he was extremely disappointed in her, and thought she had changed for the worse. But when he had seen that desperate expression on her face during Sikowitz's class, he realized that the old Tori was still in there. The one he adored. Seeing her at her locker, Beck walked over to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Tori," said Beck, running a hand through his hair. He didn't know where to start, so he decided to just get straight to the point. "Tori. What the hell is going on?" He looked at her, frowning at the ridiculous feathered corset and tights she was wearing.

Tori blinked. This was the first time any of her friends had talked to her. Well, besides the snide comments Jade threw her way. Then she realized Beck was waiting so she laughed nervously. "Nothing, Beck! There's absolutely nothing wrong!" She twisted one of the long, glittery pink strands in her hair and put on her best innocent face.

Beck didn't buy it. "Tori, come on. This isn't you. Now tell me, what's up?"

At this Tori decided to immediately switch attitudes because she knew if Beck kept needling her she would give in and tell him, which was a huge no-no. She put her hands on her hips and summoned up everything she had learned from Sikowitz's classes. "Listen to me once and for all, Beck Oliver. There is absolutely nothing wrong with me and if you insist on pestering me, I'll get Jade to shave your head!" Tori did her best impression of angry Jade and started to stomp away.

Beck looked momentarily surprised, but then casually walked over behind Tori and proceeded to toss her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" she screamed. "BECK OLIVER, PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!"

Beck didn't respond but opened the janitor's closet, threw Tori on the floor and sat down. On Tori. Straddling her waist, he crossed his arms and said, "Listen, Tori. Until you tell me what's wrong, you're not going anywhere."

"Oh? You think you can get it out of me Beck? Well, think again!" Tori struggled to get up but Beck was just too heavy. She fell back on the cold floor and scowled. "Aren't you going to eat lunch?"

Beck smiled at this weak attempt to distract him. "Nope. I texted Andre and told him I'm skipping. And you too."

Tori glared at him. Beck smiled back. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Back twiddled his thumbs. His legs were starting to ache from sitting in one position for so long. Tori hadn't said a word the whole time and it had been nearly two hours.

"Sooo," said Beck, trying to break the silence. Tori glanced at him, and arched an eyebrow. This was progress, he thought. "Can you at least tell me why you refuse to tell me?"

Tori sighed. "Beck, listen. Just trust me, okay? If there was a serious problem, I'd tell you. Now please get off. I haven't eaten lunch and I'm starving," and as if to prove her point, Tori's stomach growled. Beck frowned. She was hungry (and so was he), but he couldn't just get up and leave after all these hours.

"Tell you what," he said. "I'll call Robbie and have him bring us some sushi from Nozu. And we can eat while you explain."

Tori ignored his last statement. "School isn't even over yet! You can't keep me here all night!" she spluttered.

"Well I won't have to if you'd just tell me already."

"Oh, wazz off."

"So you admit there's something you're hiding?" asked Beck triumphantly.

"What?! No!" Tori exclaimed defensively.

"Tsk, tsk Tori. Being defensive is the first sign of lying. You're losing your touch," Beck replied, grinning.

Tori sighed and decided to just shut up and wait for her sushi.

* * *

"Ugh, my legs hurt so much," moaned Beck when Tori didn't look so angry or upset anymore.

Tori rolled her eyes. "What about me? You're kinda heavy, you know."

"Are you calling me fat?" asked Beck in an affronted tone.

"Why, yes, I am." Tori told him.

"You're fat."

"You're fatter."

"You're the fattest."

"Well you're fat from all the pizza you eat. I eat salads."

"Salads are for squares. Pizza is for real men."

"Pizza makes you fat."

"Psh, like you didn't just eat half my slice at lunch the other day."

"I did not!"

"AND my tater tots."

After a couple of seconds, Tori burst into giggles, unable to stop herself. "Well, they were good!"

"I told you!" exclaimed Beck. Tori just stuck her tongue out at him before she realized that she wasn't supposed to be sweet little Tori anymore. That she was supposed to be mean and loud and obnoxious and outrageous. And that was why she was trapped under Beck in the first place. Beck looked at her glum expression and grew somber as well. He was supposed to be getting the truth out of Tori already so he could go pummel whoever was making her act like this. They both sighed together.

* * *

"Hey guys! Guys...?" asked Robbie when he opened the janitor's closet door. He looked at Beck and Tori. "Uh, Beck, why are you, uh, sitting on Tori?"

Beck shrugged. "Just because. Tori won't answer me. So I'm sitting on her," he told Robbie like it was the most normal thing in the world. "You have our sushi?"

"Yes, actually," Robbie said. He handed Beck the box and reached behind his back. "Alsoooo, I have a surprise." He presented the white bag. "Ta da! Frozen yogurt!"

"Thanks Robbie!" said Beck happily. "I'm starving."

"Um, ahem?" said Tori. Robbie and Beck looked down at her questioningly. "Robbie, will you please help me up?" she asked, putting her best puppy dog expression on.

"Don't do it Robbie," warned Beck, taking out a piece of sushi.

"Uh, I gotta go, uh, wash my cat," said Robbie hurriedly when he saw Tori begging him. "Bye you guys! See you tomorrow!"

"Robbie!" screamed Tori. "Robbie, get back here right now and help me up!"

"He's not coming back you know," Beck told Tori, waving around a piece of sushi held in between chopsticks. "On the other hand, this sushi is awesome."

Tori sighed. Beck was right. "Fine. Can you at least get up a little bit so I can yank my arms out from underneath your legs?" she asked.

Beck made a thinking face. "Hmm, let me see...no."

"No?" gasped Tori. "Please? How else do you expect me to eat?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" asked Beck innocently. "You don't get to eat until you tell me."

"But, but Beck! Please? I'm dying here!" Tori pleaded.

Beck sighed. He couldn't do this. He couldn't be mean to Tori. "Fine. But you have to promise not to run. Because you know I can catch you in a few seconds. Promise?"

Tori nodded fervently. "I promise!"

Beck carefully kneeled on the floor while Tori pulled sat up. He leaned against the wall and put his legs on top of Tori's, their legs making a plus sign. When Tori grabbed the sushi box, Beck protested. "Hey! You can't just hog it all!"

"Yeah, well, this is like our lunch AND dinner now," Tori said, leaning back comfortably. She might have made a run for it any other time, but this was Beck, who could catch her in a heartbeat.

Beck nodded. "Touché, Tori." He leaned back and grabbed the bag from Nozu. "Here," he said, handing her some chopsticks and placing the box back in between both of them.

They ate in silence for a while, until Tori looked at Beck, her eyes tired and sad. "Hey Beck?"

"Hmm?" questioned Beck.

"Why do you want to know so bad?" Tori asked in a small voice.

Beck looked at her, surprised. "Because Tori. I care about you. And this isn't the Tori Vega I know. This is someone else and I know you wouldn't be doing this normally so I want to know what's up."

Tori smiled crookedly at him but didn't say anything. She reached for the frozen yogurt and started eating it. Beck did the same, and studied Tori while eating. She looked thinner and paler. Something could be seriously wrong. "Look, Tori. I can't force you to tell me anything. But you know that if something's wrong you can always tell me and I won't tell anybody. Right?"

Tori looked at him, her eyes a little pink. She nodded mutely and licked her frozen yogurt. Beck sighed and ran a hand through his hair. _Looks like she won't be telling me_, he thought a little sadly.

* * *

Half an hour passed, and Beck and Tori were just finishing up their frozen yogurt, which was pretty much melted by now. They hadn't said a word during this time, but Beck noticed Tori had gotten a somewhat contemplative look on her face in the last five minutes.

"Beck?" she whispered. Beck quickly looked at her. "Beck, I can trust you, right?"

Beck blinked. Was she finally going to tell him? "Of course you can, Tor."

Tori closed her eyes, still fighting inside. "The thing is - see, the thing is -" at this she broke off and gave a muffled moan. What was she supposed to do? Feeling Beck's gaze on her, Tori opened her eyes and willed herself to tell him. "The thing is, Mason Thornesmith is making me do this. He said I have to be outrageous and mean and obnoxious for people to like my music. He said if I refuse, they'll drop me from the Platinum Awards." Tears started leaking out of the corners of Tori's eyes. "But I hate this! Everyone hates me and I don't have any friends anymore! I just want to stop!"

"So why don't you?" asked Beck softly, leaning closer.

She looked insane as she widened her pink eyes and her messy hair whipped around as she choked a laugh. "Stop? Beck, I can't stop. This is my dream. Beck, it was all about Trina when I was little; how Trina got into Hollywood Arts, how she can sing, how she can do this and that! It was always my dream to become a famous singer, to outshine her! To prove I can do something too. Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a singer. And now I can. If I pull off the Platinum Awards, I'll be known across the nation, and record deals will come flowing in! My dream, Beck! It's at my fingertips!"

Beck looked at her closely. "But is it worth it if you lose everyone you care about in the process?"

"That's what I don't know! I've been killing myself over it for the past weeks, and I've had no one to talk to. Beck, I don't know what to do. I'm scared. I just want to go home," she cried, sounding like a lost little girl.

Beck's eyes softened as he looked at her. He stood up and reached for Tori, pulling her up along with him. He grabbed into Tori, and wrapped her in a tight embrace. "Tori," he whispered into her hair as she cried into his shoulder. "Tori, that's just something you'll have to figure out on your own. You have to consider everything you have, and weigh it against what you want. Only you can decide your future." Tori just nodded and continued crying into his jacket. They stood swaying, arms wrapped around each other, in the janitor's closet for a few minutes, until Tori's sobbing gradually decreased to a few sniffles. "Let's go home," Beck said and let go of Tori.

"Alright," Tori whispered. "Trina probably just told Mom that I'm sleeping over at Cat's or something, so she shouldn't be worried." Seeing Beck just standing motionless at the door, she paused with concern on her mascara-stained face. "Beck? What's wrong?"

"The door," Beck said, sounding like he couldn't believe what was happening. "It's locked."

"What?" gasped Tori, sliding in front of him to try opening the wooden door. "Oh god, now what do we do?"

"Well I guess there's not really much for us to do except spend the night here," said Beck miserably. "Unless you want to try and kick the door down."

Tori sighed. "No. I'm good. I guess we're spending the night here, then." She flopped back down on the floor and kicked off her huge heels. Beck stared at her while she yanked off her corset and pulled off her tights.

He felt his cheeks grow a little warm as he asked, "You're going to sleep in a tank top and underwear?"

"Of course," Tori said matter-of-flatly as she yanked the fake extensions out of her head. "I can't sleep in this junk."

Beck walked over and piled all of her clothes in a corner. Then he took off his jacket and boots, and sat down next to Tori. She looked up at him and hesitantly smiled. "Beck," she said softly. "Thank you."

Beck slowly leaned towards her and looked at her for permission. She also slowly leaned closed and closed her eyes, so Beck took this as a positive sign. He placed his lips on her soft, glossy red ones and snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. She ended up sitting on his lap as she kissed him, and he put a hand in her shiny brown hair. After several moments, he pulled back and leaned his forehead on hers. "You're welcome."

Tori smiled at him and placed a light kiss on his nose. Then she crawled off and said, "Come on. I just want to get a good night's sleep."

Beck grabbed his jacket and settled down on the floor. "Here, you can just put your head on me so you don't have to lie on the cold floor. You must be freezing." Tori crawled over and laid down, burying her head in his chest and putting her arm around him. Beck threw his jacket over her legs and settled on the floor, holding onto Tori. "Goodnight Tori."

"Goodnight Beck," came back her muffled reply. Beck settled down on the floor as best he could and closed his eyes.

"Sweet dreams Tori," he mumbled, and was answered by the silence from Tori as her chest rose and fell in a synchronized pattern. Beck sighed peacefully, drifting off into a world where he and the brown haired and black haired and red haired girls and nerdy guy and funny guy all got along and had fun together in their special little group. Together forever.

**A/N: I know. Completely lame, corny ending, but whatever. I hope you like it. And remember, reviews are ALWAYS most certainly appreciated 3. **


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